


Devoured

by AnotherLostSoul



Series: With or Without you [5]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Insanity, L just wants it all over and done with, Light is in Mu, Light suffers, M/M, Mental Anguish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 09:31:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17057237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherLostSoul/pseuds/AnotherLostSoul
Summary: Light endures Mu's terrors while L prepares for Light's trial. Time crawls by slowly when you are away from the ones you love...





	Devoured

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short chapter as this is just a filler. The series will be concluded in the next part.

 

Light spent what he considered to be hours just wondering around Mu. As there was nothing to do or nothing to see he kept his mind busy by reciting poems long committed to memory. He wasn't particularly fond of poems, but reciting the long prose gave him something to focus on.

If he stopped for too long one of those shadow creatures would lurk towards him. He would ***not*** end up in their clutches. He was still reeling his own father had condemned him and L must have known what was going to happen too. He felt a flare of hatred wash through him- L had betrayed him when he claimed to love him.

'Judas' Light sneered, keeping his brisk pace as he walked around nothing. Even as he seethed with resentment he couldn't bring himself to truly hate L or his Father. He had to endure four days of captivity in Mu. He knew he was strong enough to persevere, as long as he kept moving and kept his mind busy. Looking down at the river was not an option.

Light began reciting 'Dante's Inferno' as he passed by a screaming soul. He didn't recognize her and he didn't much care for her suffering either. What he didn't realize was the 'hours' he had spent in Mu were actually only minutes.

Time moved very slowly in a place where souls were trapped for eternity. The lost souls and Shadow Creatures kept their distance only because they were waiting for Light to break. The newly damned were always arrogant at first. They thought they could beat the system and avoid being devoured. This confidence only tended to last an hour before their efforts came to nothing. They would slow down and then when their despair was at its freshest, they would be feed upon.

It was always this way that the newly damned were initiated into existence in Mu. Light Yagami might consider himself special, but to the creatures watching him, he was just another meal.

Unaware of the creature's thoughts regarding his fate, Light kept his eyes closed as he walked. There was nothing and no one to bump into and at least with his eyes closed he could experience a little bit of color. The red of his blood vessels and soft pink of his eyelids were preferable to the endless white.

'If I can make it through these four days I can see L again. I have to focus on seeing him again'

"Light!"

Light's eyes snapped open as he heard _*his*_ voice. L had come back for him! L was standing a few feet away from him, his soulful eyes fixed on Light as he held out a hand.

"Light, I am so sorry he sentenced you to suffer here. I've come to take you away! "

Light paused as he stared at L skeptically. How could L not have known his father's plans? Was this some kind of trick?

"Please, I can't stay here too long" L pleaded "Come with me now, Light"

Light found himself stepping closer to L, even as his mind screamed at him it was a trap.

"I've missed you"

Light clasped L's hand in his own and wrapped his arms around him. This was not a trick. L felt warm and *real* in his arms.

"Light, I love you so much" L peered up at him and Light found himself captivated by L's eyes. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against L's waiting ones.

He had expected to feel the sweet sensation of L's lips parting under his own.

Instead, he cried out in fear as L's form vanished and he was surrounded in a mass of pulsating blackness. With every pull, the creature took his feelings and thoughts from him. Light moaned weakly as he felt the being devour his memories and relish his jilted hope that L had come to rescue him. It was like a sort of rape. Light could only remain frozen in space as the creature took all it wanted from him.

Silent tears coursed down his face as Light tried to endure it, but with each fresh wave of pain, he found his resolve weakening. He thought he saw Takada and Mikami watching him. Their faces were wild with deranged glee as they screamed that their Kami was not so God-like after all.

"Help me! For God's sake, help me!" Light shrieked as the dark mass fully encircled him.

"Help you? There's no help for any of us! " Takada tittered, her once beautiful blue eyes filling with tears as she flung her head back and laughed.

Light felt something *snap* within his mind and he fell silent. He let the creature tear through his thoughts and drain him of energy.

If he relaxed into it perhaps it wouldn't hurt as much. This was his life now.

'Wonder how long it will be before I end up like them' the thought echoed through Light's empty mind. He wasn't sure if the thought was even his own.

It had been 23 minutes since Light had arrived in Mu.

 

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

L found himself pacing the floor restlessly as he clenched and unclenched his fists. He was well aware of the time differences between dimensions. Whereas it had been several hours since Light's banishment to Mu, he knew for Light it had only been minutes.

"L, will you please _stop_ pacing and sit down" Watari sighed, his exasperation at L's actions forcing a hard edge to his voice.

L paused in his pacing and sat down. He didn't bother to crouch, he slumped in the chair next to Watari's and gloomily stuck a lollipop in his mouth.

"If you are finding this too difficult... "

"I * _have*_ to do this, Watari. If I don't he will be banished forever, it's just it's so hard to just stay here and wait for it to be over"

Watari gestured towards L's tea "Be that as it may, time will move no faster for all of your pacings and fretting. It will all be over soon, L, and hopefully, Yagami will pass his test and be able to find peace in this realm"

L took a sip of the lukewarm tea and made a face of disgust. He must have been pacing for quite some time for it to cool so badly.

"I need to keep myself busy" L declared "I am going to visit Mello. "

"I wouldn't advise that, you know Mello and Matt will just rile you up by questioning your plan to save Yagami. Why don't you continue to try and locate Yagami's family?"

L sighed tiredly. The Spirit realm was vast, and it was constantly changing due to the whims of its inhabitants. When L had first arrived he had made finding Watari his first priority. After he had located him he had focused on learning the 'rules' of his new home. They were extremely complex, and even he wasn't sure he fully understood them in their entirety. The parts he did understand were:

All spirits deemed worthy enough to reach the spirit realm would be able to manipulate the realm around them. If someone wanted to spend their eternity on a paradise island, the space around them would shift to an island to suit their needs. Rivers, lakes, entire cities were dreamed up and demolished in days. The landscape was fluid, and souls could wander freely and experience the natural wonders and life they had not had the opportunity to enjoy in their time on Earth. Due to the constant changes and influx of souls, it was extremely challenging to find ones way around unless you focused extremely hard on reuniting with another person. Many souls were content to spend their eternities experiencing the wonder of a realm that mirrored their world, only one where everything was possible.

So, for those reasons It was also difficult to find people who did not want to be found, as L had discovered when he'd begun his search for Sachiko and Sayu Yagami.

When a spirit had found the souls of their friends and companions they wished to spend eternity with they would 'settle' and a permanent home environment would be knitted from the realms fabric for them. L and Watari had decided on a cabin in the woods, and so it had become their home and point of contact. Mello and Matt had settled in a highrise penthouse while Raye and Naomi lived in a cottage by the sea. Once established, these residences would become permanent fixtures in the realm and could not be changed or altered.

In an ever-changing realm, ones home became their main source of stability. L knew how to get to his home in the woods to the settlements of his friends but if,  as he suspected, Sachiko and Sayu Yagami had not chosen to settle he stood little chance of finding them.

'They won't settle until they are reunited with Light again. They aren't at peace in this realm so they just wander through it'

The ability to do what you wanted and go where you wanted in the spirit realm reflected true freedom. Some souls even preferred to spend their time on earth, remaining close to their loved ones and watching them live their lives. When the inevitable day came when they too would perish, the souls would be there ready to guide their loved ones onwards. But, there were souls who were not bound for the spirit realm, and L had often wondered how any of them could find peace when they reflected on the sufferings of their loved ones in Mu.

L imagined if one was truly alone in the spirit realm it could become quite unbearable. The bond with Watari that had sustained him through his life would continue to sustain him in the afterlife. L could not imagine existing without Watari.

They played chess, watched television, went for long walks in the woods. They did indolent, relaxing activities and read a lot. The vast knowledge of mankind was held within a monolithic library that was one of few permanent public spaces. L had spent most of his days there expanding on his already impressive knowledge. His dedication to learning had enabled him to meet the entities who had allowed him to judge Light.

L considered going to the library but decided against it. He doubted he could concentrate enough to read a page, let alone a whole book. Besides, he had preparations to make for Light's final trial. He would have to return to Earth and meet up with Souichiro Yagami soon. He could only hope time would pass quickly. If Light was sentenced to eternal damnation for failing his test, L knew he would be sentenced as well. He would no longer have to wonder how those with loved ones in Mu felt- because he would be in that position himself.

"Watari, I am very grateful you are here. I feel sometimes I have taken your care for granted. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you" L blushed and hung his head, not very confident when it came to expressing his feelings. It seemed Watari had understood him perfectly. The old man poured him a fresh cup of tea and gestured for him to sit back down.

"I will always be here for you, L. Now, stop being so melancholy and drink your tea. I suspect you will be traveling to Earth again soon? Pass on my regards to Souichiro and do let him know I am trying my hardest to locate his family"

L nodded and sipped at his tea. The birds chirped in the trees outside and a gentle, flower-scented breeze brushed his face as it drifted in from the open window. L tried not to compare the peace and tranquility of their settlement with the bleak starkness of Mu.

'This is nearly over. A few more days. I have to keep going' L told himself firmly 'Light is strong, Mu won't break him in four days'

At least, that was what he  _hoped._

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

_'The Death Note was on the ground, I watched it fall down. Was it Spring? I think it was spring. I picked it up and I wrote those crooks names down. Then I met Ryuk. I began writing hundreds of names down, cleansing the world and making it a better place. L challenged me and I was sucked into our cat and mouse game. I worked with L for a while then I killed him. After I killed him I realized I loved him. I continued to erase the rotten people from the world, I believed I was a God. Then a White-Haired brat tricked me. Ryuk wrote my name down and I died in a warehouse. I think L was there when I died. Everything before these events isn't worth remembering, because none of it was important. I picked up the Death Note. I am Light Yagami. I love L. I killed L. I am going to suffer for what I've done to thousands of people. I am not losing my mind. I can repeat this again and again...The Death Note was on the ground, I watched it fall down. Was it Spring? I think it was spring. I picked it up and I wrote those crooks names down. Then I met Ryuk. I began writing hundreds of names down, cleansing the world and making it a better place. L challenged me and I was sucked into our cat and mouse game. I worked with L for a while then I killed him. After I killed him I realized I loved him. I continued to erase the rotten people from the world, I believed I was a God. Then a White-Haired brat tricked me. Ryuk wrote my name down and I died in a warehouse. I think L was there when I died...'_

Light screamed and clutched at his head. Even as he repeated the words his skull throbbed with pain. The white around him had started to bleed different colors with each turn of his head. The repetition wasn't helping him. He could still feel the effects of that creature's feeding deep within his mind. No other creature had come near him, so he had laid down on the ground once it was over and tried to rebuild himself.

L wasn't here. L was not going to come and rescue him. His father had sentenced him to a fate worse than death. He would have rather have spent an eternity dying over and over again than suffer another attack from one of those creatures. They ripped out all that was good inside him and feasted on his pain and fear. They tricked their victims into coming to them by becoming the thing or person the victim wanted most of L.

He had walked right into L's arms when he knew in his heart it was not him.

He was stupid and arrogant. To think he had considered himself a God.

'How wrong I was. How wrong... I wish I could take it all back. I don't know anything about this world, about Shinigamis and Death Notes. I could live a life where I met L through work and become his partner that way. I could wake up to L in my arms and go to sleep holding onto him. I would be happy, and my family would still be alive. I would have a purpose and would enjoy my life. I would be happy. I would be happy...'

Light's heartbreaking thoughts, tinged with a desperate madness to cling onto his shattering sanity, lured in the lurking creatures. They advanced on him, circling like wolves as they tasted the delicious despair of his bittersweet fantasy of the life he could have lived.

'If I had never become Kira L and I could have had a happy life together' 

Light screamed as he felt the icy pull of the creatures as they advanced on him. He stared up at the pulsing creatures as they swarmed over him until he could see nothing but black.

Then, he was devoured.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
  



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